Ashley's Asylum (3)

07| Ashley's Asylum

Typically, only a serial killer couldn't comprehend the emotions and thoughts of a normal person.

She didn't know why she insisted on aggravating Michael but she glared at him hatefully, his demoniacal features making her heart pound. "All you need to understand is that everyone I want to be with, they're back at home. I will never want to be with you or Sam."

Michael stood at this causing Ashley to stumble back a step or two but her feet were caught in the blankets still. He came up against her until they were chest to chest. He looked down at her, his eyes dark and cold. "Maybe there's something you need to understand. You are never going home, and you'll stay with us whether you want to or not."

Ashley's temper flared into despair at Michael's words. "Why?" She cried. "You don't need me! I know nothing of your plans, why are you keeping me with you!"

Michael sighed like she couldn't possibly understand. "You think I don't know you would help the police track us down?"

Ashley pushed against his chest, refusing to be intimidated or back down. "How could I? Why would I? If you let me go I'd forget everything, I'd leave and never look back."

Michael hesitated before he traced a finger down the side of her face. It sent a cold chill rifling under her skin. "You are a liar Ashley. You couldn't stay away before and you wouldn't if we released you right now. You wouldn't forget and you wouldn't forgive. I'm saving you the trouble of hunting us down again, this way we can stay together."

Ashley opened her mouth to tell Michael he was wrong but he put a finger to her lips. "Don't insult me with more lies, I know you better than you think. I know Sam better than you too..." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with his other hand. "I suggest you start rethinking who you're going to trust out of the two of us."

With her lips parted in speechlessness, Ashley swallowed and pursed her lips against his finger.

"Make the right decision Ashley, your health heavily depends upon it."

He gave her a cold-blooded smile and Ashley felt tears form at the back of her eyes but she blinked them back. In that moment he was colder than she could ever have imagined. If there was something remotely human inside him, it was well hidden. To her, he was an empty abyss of darkness sucking at the life and hope of all those round him. Mainly her.

He straightened out after a moment and gave her some space. Gesturing to the door he gave her a nudge in its general direction. "Now that we're on the same page, I'm going to give your appearance a little TLC ."

Ashley sat in a chair like a good girl as Michael stood in front of her. They were in the middle of what looked like the remainders of a living room. It was musty and dingy, not a surprise for a block of sleazy apartments. It was surprisingly well furnished for an abandoned place, which led Ashley quickly to suspect Michael had set this place up well before his arrest.

Something in Michael's hand flashed as it caught the light. A pair of scissors. Her chest ached with fear as she caught sight of them. TLC usually meant tender love and care but Ashley wasn't sure she wanted Michael's version of it. She went to get up to have Michael push her back down into her seat.

He lifted the scissors close to her face, then pressed them into her cheek. Her breath caught in her throat as the cold metal burnt her skin. She couldn't help but think of all the other girls who must have been in this position. Had they felt the same then, as she did right now?

Frightened, oddly thrilled because of all the adrenaline coursing through their system and betrayed. Ashley flinched away from his other hand as it clamped down on her shoulder. He pressed his cheek against hers, with the scissors still pressing painfully into the other side of her face.